The growing interest in the game of golf has spurred golf equipment manufacturers to increase the variety of equipment that they produce. Revolutions in computing and advances in material science have simultaneously allowed equipment manufacturers to meet the demands of consumers in ever more precise ways. Golf balls, for instance, are now manufactured specifically to give a golfer the right “feel” when the club face strikes the golf ball. Golf balls are also manufactured to fly farther by manipulating the patterns formed by the dimples on the surface of the golf ball. With respect to golf clubs, newer materials have allowed golf club designers to produce lighter and stronger golf clubs. Features of the golf clubs have also been varied to manipulate head characteristics, such as center of mass, face angle, and face texture.
Golfers collectively spend millions of dollars each year attempting to fine tune each aspect of their game. For both amateur and professional golfers alike, equipment can often be a key to success. To satisfy the demand for equipment while accommodating the different body types, swing mechanics, and varying levels of skill, golf equipment manufacturers have produced equipment that is limited only be the imagination and the requirements of the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Depending on the skill of the golfer, their playing style, and their personal preferences, specific equipment may be selected to assist the golfer in obtaining the optimal performance. In the past, a golf professional would assist a golfer in choosing their equipment either based on their body type, general information provided by the golfer about their style of play, and/or observing the golfer's swing with the naked eye. More recently, golf professionals have used devices referred to as “launch monitors” to observe a player's swing characteristics. By observing a golfer's swing with different clubs and balls, a launch monitor provides a golf professional with more information on which to base a club and/or ball recommendation.
A limitation of present methods and apparatus for measuring the kinematics of a golf club is that the measurements are taken by outside equipment. For instance, a launch monitor often acquires images of a golf club in motion and then determines the kinematic characteristics of the club based on those images. While the precision and accuracy of these devices is constantly improving, it is also desirable to obtain the kinematic characteristics of the golf club from the golf club itself That is, a continuing need exists for a method and apparatus that allows a golf club to directly measure and relay the kinematic information of the golf club. Moreover, a continuing need exists for a golf club that has the ability to measure and relay its kinematic characteristics without being perceptible to a golfer.